The Ritual
by Ruler of Destiny
Summary: Momoka will be lucky someday. Not today, maybe not for the next four years, but someday. She hopes.
1. Chapter 1

"Uh, Wanko? I know this is probably a dumb question but...what's with the skull?"

"Momoka-san! Is something the matter? Are you having trouble with your school work?"

"I was tired o' listening to Kuro's snoring." Momoka made herself comfortable in the open corner of the room (conveniently the same location that was farthest from...whatever her partner was doing) and fiddled with the granola bar in her hand. "What kinda creepy spell are you doing this time?"

"Oh, I am merely summoning the spirit of the deceased animal that this skull belongs to from the depths of the netherworld." Isuzu explained shyly excited about her project.

Momoka tried not to run out of the room faster than the literal bat out of hell she was about to face.

"Isn't it exciting?!"

"Well, that's uh, one way to put it."

"All the preparations are complete. We can begin now!"

"Wait, now?!"

"It may be best if you sit extremely still and do not bring attention to yourself."

"Uh, I think I forgot something."

"And it begins."

Momoka froze and quickly sat herself back down from the half risen position she'd managed to get herself to. It was too late, she had been too slow to act.

The room grew dark, and what she assumed were the tools for the summoning began to glow. A cold sweat grew on her skin, and she fought to keep her heart from jumping out of her throat. Who knows what sort of demon would grab it if she didn't (if the demon was even polite enough to wait for her heart to escape her body before taking it). Horrific possibilities ran through her mind, making it impossible for her to concentrate.

She focused solely on the skull while trying to keep her mind grounded, a familiar pressure growing in her mind. She didn't notice the glow faltering, or the barely visible wasp of smoke forming. She didn't notice the world starting to blur until, finally, it went completely black.

"Ow."

"Hey, I think she's awake."

"Momoka-san!"

"Oooooww. No yelling."

"See? She's alive. Now can we leave? This place still feels creepy. I swear there's a spirit here somewhere!"

She tuned out their arguing in favor of calming the pounding in her head. There was still a pressure there, though different from the usual spell-related pain she had become well acquainted with. Taking several deep breaths, she opened her eyes cautiously. Her eyes took a few seconds to focus and give a defined shape to the boards the lined the bottom of the top bunk.

Then she looked away.

And saw a hawk.

Sitting on her chest.

A _see-through _hawk. Sitting on her chest.

And she screamed.

The next few minutes were a chaotic mess of screams and pain as the hawk took flight around the room, Momoka scrambled to avoid it, Kiji spazzed out as she finally pinpointed the source of her bad feeling, and the other two (who had no idea what was going on) tried to calm the girls.

"Whoa, Moko-chan! You look like a zombie!"

* * *

"Uugh."

"And you sound like one too! And you're all twitchy. Did one of Inu-chan's spells go wrong again?"

"...Somethin' like that."

**So as I searched through my computer for a misplaced fic, I came across this guy, which I'm pretty sure is well over half a year old. I honestly have no idea why I never posted it, as it was fully complete when I found it. -shrug- It's a mystery.**


	2. The Letter

"We're starting the project tomorrow, and by then I want you to have the first letter finished."

'_Maybe I should up my cardio routine. No point in practicing so much if I run outta breath after a couple minutes._'

"I'm providing the materials for this, and rest assured that I _will _be tracking your participation."

'_I don't want to go Miyamoto-level or anything, though. I'd probably die if I tried._'

"Now, you have just enough time to pick your book and subject. If you don't want to choose a name, I'll assign one to you."

'_Variety is key. I should ask Rio-nee to spar with me. We haven't done that in years, and it'll get her away from that crazy partner of hers for a little bit. ...Just as long as we avoid _talking _about her partner. I'm not sure how much of that I can handle. Was Rio-nee always that weird?_'

"KIBI-SAN!"

"AGH!"

"Now that I have your attention, here is your journal book for the project, and you have approximately thirty seconds to choose a name before I pick one for you."

"Wait, why is it all pink and glittery?! I don't want that!"

"Then you should have been paying attention. Twenty seconds."

"Guh. Um. Ah! Her! I'll take her!"

"Good. Now go away. The bell already rang."

* * *

"Man, I shouldn't have put this off. Why does it have to be so hard to write one page worth of stuff?

"Um. Momoka-san, may I ask what you're doing? You are unusually focused."

"Writing a letter. Hmm, oh! I can put..."

"Is that glitter? And hearts?"

"...Yeah."

"I didn't know you were into such things! Are you attempting to get in touch with your feminine side? Like a late bloomer sort of thing?"

"Like a what? NO! Why would you? Where do you get ideas like that?! And it's not like I had a choice!"

"Kuga-san said you were, and that I would have to be patient. Though I do not know why I should be waiting, or what exactly I am waiting for."

"...If that one ever gives you weird advice again, just ignore her, okay?

"Hmm? If that is your wish. May I ask who the letter is for?"

"Who? Oh, it's for Michi."

* * *

"Heeey. Inu-chan! Where is everyone?"

"Ah, hello. Momoka-san is...writing some sort of...letter, I believe."

"A letter? Yikes! That, that aura. What's wrong?!"

"It was. The letter is. I. I do not want to draw any conclusions but...THE EVIDENCE WAS UNDENIABLE!"

"ACK! What evidence?! What evidence?! Is Moka-chan in trouble?! We'll rescue her!"

"No. She has. I believe that she has. _Bloomed_."

"...? She...turned into a flower? Wait don't cry! We'll fix her in no time!"

"Can you please turn down your aura?! I almost fainted from walking into the cafeteria!"

"Wow. You could sense her from the doorway? Inu-chan is really strong..."

"...Haven't you noticed that all the tables around you are empty now? I don't need any power to be able to sense _that_. Hmph. It's a good thing Michi stayed behind to-CAN YOU SERIOUSLY CALM DOWN?!"

"Oh yeah! We have a problem! Moka-chan bloomed and now we have to turn her back into a human!"

"...I think you need to go to the nurse's office and get your head checked. Both of you."

* * *

"Uuuugh. Man, I needed that bath. My homework is done, including that stupid letter thing, _and _I got in lots of extra training. Not bad for today. Now I can."

"GIVE IT HERE!"

"What the! Loser Kiji!"

"LIKE HELL WILL I LET YOU GET HER!"

"What in the world are you talking about-HEY, WATCH! Agh!"

_Thump_

"...My heaaaad. Kind of a lucky slip though, all things considered. Damn, she's heavy."

"Hey! Stop making so much noise!..._Ew._ Do that sort of thing in a _room_! Geez!"

"What? Wait, no, help me. ….. She left. Guh. Get _off_.

_Thud_

"Whoops. Oh well. She'd already hit her head anyway. Stupid Kiji, knocking herself out. What in the world set her off? She finally snapped, huh?"

"...I should probably take her to her room or something."

"...I don't really want to though. I mean. She deserves it after all, attacking me outta nowhere like that."

"...Yeah. Good point. She'd be even more annoying if I didn't."

"...I should stop talking to myself now."

* * *

"Special delivery."

"Whoa! What did Kiji-chan do_ this _time?"

"She attacked me and knocked herself out."

"That's...my idiot. She attacked you? What did _you _do?"

"I didn't do anything! I was just minding my own business when she runs up outta the blue, yelling about giving her something, and not letting me take someone."

"Huh. That's weird, even for her. I'll quiz her about it later, no worries! So, did you finish the "pen pal" project?"

"Yup! I just wrote random stuff, but it was still harder than I thought it would be. I was lucky that your name wasn't taken, or else it would have been a lot harder! And we have to do this for a whole month?"

"At least you have a cute, eye-catching notebook to write in!"

"Shutup."


End file.
